Lessons? Learned?

"Have you learned your lesson?"

"Did this teach you a lesson?"

"Don't you think you should have learned that lesson by now?"

We parents are guilty of these phrases as we deal with the fallout from the countless predicaments our children encounter.  They expect us to "know better," correct them, declare a lesson learned and move on.  The parental code of lesson teaching is passed down from generation to generation as grandparents nod knowingly with their "I told you so" looks...again, bestowing a lesson onto their own children!

I am now encountering a whole different kind of lesson teacher who has no perceivable objective with being in my business other than just BEING IN MY BUSINESS.  Traversing a path in the land of Singledom by myself will be seemingly impossible.  So many comments, looks, and conspiratorial whispers are sent my way that memories of my school years come flooding back.

"You have to read this book.  It taught me so many lessons about being divorced."

"Oh, I'm sure you won't try doing that again.  Haven't you learned your lesson about men yet?"

"Let me give you some advice...."

If I had the time to read and discuss all there is to know about newly divorced women, I would have too little time to worry about the consequences of divorce.  Heck, I would probably have to hire a tutor to help me slog through the mountains of homework I'm expected to do as I "work on myself" and become a better divorced person.

"You need to be by yourself so you can learn about you."

Isn't that the reason I got divorced?  I was by myself so much that I reached down deep, found myself and catapulted to freedom.

Maybe these lesson teachers are just looking for students because they're addicted to their own stories. Maybe the biggest lesson I learned is I have to do it on my own because NO ONE ELSE will do it for me.

Lesson learned.